UK and Nato’s nuclear threat not enough to deter Putin, ex-military chief warns
UK and Nato allies hamstrung by ‘outdated nuclear doctrine’ as they face Putin threat
- A report by former military chief Sir Jock Stirrup for Policy Exchange warns that the UK and its Nato allies must upgrade their military capabilities to effectively deter Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.
- The report criticises the UK's “outdated nuclear doctrine”, stating that deterrence relies on a spectrum of capabilities beyond just nuclear weapons, and recommends large-scale military exercises with a nuclear element.
- Sir Keir Starmer announced plans for the UK to deploy peacekeeping troops alongside France to Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed, though former military figures suggest a force of at least 50,000 troops would be necessary to deter further Russian aggression.
- The report argues that Western powers failed to deter Russian aggression in Ukraine by not exercising deterrence in terms meaningful to its leaders, also noting a decline in Britain's intellectual capacity for nuclear deterrence.
- The international situation is escalating, exemplified by the US and UK seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela, prompting European leaders to re-evaluate defence spending and their reliance on the US amid comments from Donald Trump.